Codex: Arsinat

What Jinanis lack in mages they make up for in ingenuity, expertise, and discipline.  In no other form are these attributes exemplified more than in the warriors known as arsinat.  Translated roughly as “those who use everything,” the arsinat do not practice a single martial art, nor do they utilize the same equipment, but instead share a unique focus on and dedication to extreme martial training.  As likely to draw comparisons to ninjas as they are to mobile artillery, one arsinat’s specialty can vary dramatically from another.  

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  • 25 Plays
  • The Cross Of Antiquan (Alt 1)Two Steps From Hell

The obviously unofficial Two Steps from Hell theme song for Dragon Age: Jinan, “The Cross of Antiquan.”

(There are also obviously unofficial themes for all of the major characters.  They will probably be posted in the future!)

Mages in Jinan discussion

dragonagejinan:

Conspicuously absent from any discussion of Jinan so far is the subject of mages. Ubiquitous in Thedas, and a key part of the narrative – and themes – the real game series explores, they are almost entirely absent in Jinan. This was the earliest decision made in DA: Jinan, and informs upon many of the choices we’ve made. Before there was even an idea of what the the place looked like, who would occupy it, or what our story would be about, there were no mages in Jinan.

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This article raises the most difficult issue in Jinani lore.  At some point early in the idea of DA:J it occurred to us that we had essentially constructed a society filled with people of color who had participated in, and executed to completion, the genocide of a minority population.  Faced with this I figured I had three options:  Abandon the core idea from which the whole project started and reintroduce mages, change it so that Jinan never had any mages at all, or try to write it in an intelligent and thoughtful way.

In choosing the last option, I tried several things:

  • Placed it entirely in the past, so that images of people executing mages and scourging mage children is not something any proposed “player” of this fake game would have to see.  Nor would they be confronted, as a mage, with people who loathed them and sought their death for who they were.
  • Have the culture of the present tense look upon it with the same kind of shame and regret any with a modicum of decency and respect for life would. While retaining the residual cultural mythology that led to it in the first place, thus also respecting their belief structure.
  • In that light:  Provide in-universe reasons for it that, while not excusing it, at least provide a context through which such a thing like the extermination of mages might be comprehended.  

If I failed to do justice to the subject matter, speak up.  Just because I thought of things doesn’t mean I think I thought of everything.  

Codex: Mages in Jinan

Conspicuously absent from any discussion of Jinan so far is the subject of mages. Ubiquitous in Thedas, and a key part of the narrative – and themes – the real game series explores, they are almost entirely absent in Jinan. This was the earliest decision made in DA: Jinan, and informs upon many of the choices we’ve made. Before there was even an idea of what the the place looked like, who would occupy it, or what our story would be about, there were no mages in Jinan.

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We like music. Sometimes it reminds us to work on DA:J. This is one of those songs.

Nadiya dar-Gaduna (depicted without full combat gear) For the second night in a row, Palit dar-Fadim was overwhelmed by the unusually heavy rain. His black and white uniform was waterlogged; its weight a constant annoyance. More pressingly, the storm obscured the balcony across the square below, which was already shrouded in darkness. They had been watching it for several days, observing guard movements and hoping to catch a glimpse of their target. Frustrated by the cloudy view through his drenched spyglass, Palit tucked it into the dryer part of his tunic and rubbed the lens dry. When he could finally focus on the balcony again, he was shocked to discover the guard he had been watching was gone. He nudged his resting superior. “Nadiya. Nadiya, the guard is gone.” Her light sleep interrupted, Nadiya did not bother disguising her impatience with the rookie and snatched the spyglass from his hands. “It’s just a shift change.” She frowned and dried the lens again, “Wait… that’s the same guard from before. Could there be only those two?” “Seems to be,” he confirmed. As Nadiya peered at the balcony, Palit reached into his bag to retrieve his heavy coat. “What are you doing?” she asked. He froze in an awkward pose, jacket half-on, “We’re supposed to report back. Aren’t we?” “Not with this advantage,” she said. “Two guards? They might have more by the time we get our orders. Now, Palit, is the time to strike.” “But—” Nadiya, pointedly ignoring his withering objection, slid her coat off of her shoulders and tossed it aside along with the spyglass. Palit gulped; he still hadn’t gotten used to the sight of his striking and shapely superior. Nadiya quickly planned a route to their target and began to scale the side of the nearest building. Palit quickly shrugged off his coat and followed. The roof above offered a clear angle, and by the time he clambered onto the tiles she was already lining up her grappling hook. Timing the shot with a thunderclap, she expertly shot the hook from her left wrist and they watched as it latched securely to the top of the villa. Palit took the end of the rope and secured it to the building as Nadiya rotated her wrist tool clockwise, swapping the spent hook cartridge for a spring-loaded blade.  “After you,” Palit said, nodding towards the rope.  Nadiya grabbed at the rope and slid down, dramatically gaining speed as her momentum carried her across the square. The guard they had been watching did not have time to react before her boots landed on his sternum and he collapsed. Not wasting any time, Nadiya thrust her blade through the guard’s exposed throat, silencing him. Palit followed down the rope, dropping clumsily beside her on the second floor balcony. She spared him an amused grin before hiding it behind her protective mask. He donned his own, and simultaneously they opened fuel valves and lit the pilot lights under their right wrists. Nadiya shuffled over to the door leading inside. “Flash bomb,” she whispered, voice muffled, “then we grab the target.”  As she gently cracked the door open, Palit drew the stun device from his belt loop and rolled it through the opening.  After waiting what he thought was the appropriate amount of time, he kicked the door open. Unfortunately, his timing was off, and the flash bomb exploded in his face. Typical, Nadiya thought with a sigh. She charged in past her stunned comrade and quickly surveyed the room. She stood on a narrow second level with a view down into the first floor. Three green-clad guards wobbled in their places surrounding a table in the center of the room. As soon as they regained their sight, she and Palit would be outnumbered. Looking up, a massive gilt chandelier loomed over the table and she took aim with her flamethrower, which launched a plume of fire at the rope fixing it to the ceiling. The rope quickly caught flame and, in a matter of seconds, snapped. The chandelier crashed down atop all but one disoriented guard. Nadiya vaulted over the handrail and landed gracefully on the floor below.  The guard had recovered enough to confidently draw his sword before swiftly closing the gap between himself and the intruder.  She parried his first swipe with her wrist blade and followed up with a kick to his chest to create some distance between them. Judging she did not have the time to draw her sword nor the space to set him ablaze, she smothered the pilot light and sprayed liquid fuel into the charging guard’s face. Stunned and blinded again he instinctively turned away, which gave Nadiya the opportunity to grip his head and twist. With a sickening crack he fell limp, and his body landed on the floor in a heap. The fire started by her destruction of the chandelier had grown rapidly and embers had begun descending from the ceiling, spreading the blaze everywhere. It was then she heard Palit shout: “There he is!”  He pointed down a hallway toward their target. Brushing the smoke from her field of view, she caught a glimpse of the figure fleeing down a stairwell as Palit descended from the balcony in pursuit of him. Before she could follow, another door swung open and four more green-clad men poured into the room between her and her comrade.  She did not have time for this and wasn’t about to waste any. Snatching a grenade from her belt, Nadiya threw it beyond the enemy reinforcements where it ricocheted off the wall and landed at their feet before unleashing its devastating destructive properties, sending the guards flying and damaging a column already weakened by fire. Thoroughly compromised, the structure began to give in all around her and the roof over the stairwell leading to the basement caved in, blocking her off from Palit and the target. With no option other than to escape, Nadiya searched for the nearest way out and observed a clear path towards a glass window on the opposite end of the building.  She burst forward, building up steam and bringing her arms up to protect her face before launching herself through the window.  As she landed, she tucked into a roll and was covered in a thick layer of mud and shattered glass before finally coming to a halt. She saw reflected in a puddle next to her the image of the burning building, and silhouetted against it, a dozen figures marching towards her. She whipped her head around to get a better look at the threat, but she she recognized their uniforms as her own. With a sigh, she picked herself up out of the mud and straightened her posture to meet the icy stare of her commander, Haifa dar-Fadim. “This is the last ‘accident’ of yours we will ever be cleaning up.” Blurb by upsettingshorts, art by psdo.
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Nadiya dar-Gaduna (depicted without full combat gear)

For the second night in a row, Palit dar-Fadim was overwhelmed by the unusually heavy rain. His black and white uniform was waterlogged; its weight a constant annoyance. More pressingly, the storm obscured the balcony across the square below, which was already shrouded in darkness. They had been watching it for several days, observing guard movements and hoping to catch a glimpse of their target. Frustrated by the cloudy view through his drenched spyglass, Palit tucked it into the dryer part of his tunic and rubbed the lens dry. When he could finally focus on the balcony again, he was shocked to discover the guard he had been watching was gone.


He nudged his resting superior. “Nadiya. Nadiya, the guard is gone.”


Her light sleep interrupted, Nadiya did not bother disguising her impatience with the rookie and snatched the spyglass from his hands.


“It’s just a shift change.” She frowned and dried the lens again, “Wait… that’s the same guard from before. Could there be only those two?”


“Seems to be,” he confirmed. As Nadiya peered at the balcony, Palit reached into his bag to retrieve his heavy coat.


“What are you doing?” she asked.


He froze in an awkward pose, jacket half-on, “We’re supposed to report back. Aren’t we?”


“Not with this advantage,” she said. “Two guards? They might have more by the time we get our orders. Now, Palit, is the time to strike.”


“But—”


Nadiya, pointedly ignoring his withering objection, slid her coat off of her shoulders and tossed it aside along with the spyglass. Palit gulped; he still hadn’t gotten used to the sight of his striking and shapely superior.


Nadiya quickly planned a route to their target and began to scale the side of the nearest building. Palit quickly shrugged off his coat and followed. The roof above offered a clear angle, and by the time he clambered onto the tiles she was already lining up her grappling hook. Timing the shot with a thunderclap, she expertly shot the hook from her left wrist and they watched as it latched securely to the top of the villa. Palit took the end of the rope and secured it to the building as Nadiya rotated her wrist tool clockwise, swapping the spent hook cartridge for a spring-loaded blade. 


“After you,” Palit said, nodding towards the rope. 


Nadiya grabbed at the rope and slid down, dramatically gaining speed as her momentum carried her across the square. The guard they had been watching did not have time to react before her boots landed on his sternum and he collapsed. Not wasting any time, Nadiya thrust her blade through the guard’s exposed throat, silencing him.


Palit followed down the rope, dropping clumsily beside her on the second floor balcony. She spared him an amused grin before hiding it behind her protective mask. He donned his own, and simultaneously they opened fuel valves and lit the pilot lights under their right wrists.


Nadiya shuffled over to the door leading inside.


“Flash bomb,” she whispered, voice muffled, “then we grab the target.” 


As she gently cracked the door open, Palit drew the stun device from his belt loop and rolled it through the opening.  After waiting what he thought was the appropriate amount of time, he kicked the door open. Unfortunately, his timing was off, and the flash bomb exploded in his face.


Typical, Nadiya thought with a sigh.


She charged in past her stunned comrade and quickly surveyed the room. She stood on a narrow second level with a view down into the first floor. Three green-clad guards wobbled in their places surrounding a table in the center of the room. As soon as they regained their sight, she and Palit would be outnumbered. Looking up, a massive gilt chandelier loomed over the table and she took aim with her flamethrower, which launched a plume of fire at the rope fixing it to the ceiling. The rope quickly caught flame and, in a matter of seconds, snapped. The chandelier crashed down atop all but one disoriented guard.


Nadiya vaulted over the handrail and landed gracefully on the floor below.  The guard had recovered enough to confidently draw his sword before swiftly closing the gap between himself and the intruder. 


She parried his first swipe with her wrist blade and followed up with a kick to his chest to create some distance between them. Judging she did not have the time to draw her sword nor the space to set him ablaze, she smothered the pilot light and sprayed liquid fuel into the charging guard’s face. Stunned and blinded again he instinctively turned away, which gave Nadiya the opportunity to grip his head and twist. With a sickening crack he fell limp, and his body landed on the floor in a heap.


The fire started by her destruction of the chandelier had grown rapidly and embers had begun descending from the ceiling, spreading the blaze everywhere. It was then she heard Palit shout: “There he is!”  He pointed down a hallway toward their target.


Brushing the smoke from her field of view, she caught a glimpse of the figure fleeing down a stairwell as Palit descended from the balcony in pursuit of him.


Before she could follow, another door swung open and four more green-clad men poured into the room between her and her comrade.  She did not have time for this and wasn’t about to waste any. Snatching a grenade from her belt, Nadiya threw it beyond the enemy reinforcements where it ricocheted off the wall and landed at their feet before unleashing its devastating destructive properties, sending the guards flying and damaging a column already weakened by fire. Thoroughly compromised, the structure began to give in all around her and the roof over the stairwell leading to the basement caved in, blocking her off from Palit and the target.


With no option other than to escape, Nadiya searched for the nearest way out and observed a clear path towards a glass window on the opposite end of the building.  She burst forward, building up steam and bringing her arms up to protect her face before launching herself through the window.  As she landed, she tucked into a roll and was covered in a thick layer of mud and shattered glass before finally coming to a halt.


She saw reflected in a puddle next to her the image of the burning building, and silhouetted against it, a dozen figures marching towards her. She whipped her head around to get a better look at the threat, but she she recognized their uniforms as her own. With a sigh, she picked herself up out of the mud and straightened her posture to meet the icy stare of her commander, Haifa dar-Fadim.


“This is the last ‘accident’ of yours we will ever be cleaning up.”


Blurb by upsettingshorts, art by psdo.

Dragon Age: Jinan… the RPG?

One element of DA: Jinan we haven’t mentioned yet is the roleplaying system Sushewakka is developing alongside it.  A while ago we asked him to put together a short Q&A explaining why we’re doing this and what it will be like:

Why a Pen and Paper Roleplaying system?

As we were crafting the world and the themes, we decided that it would be interesting to actually explore them in a more hands-on approach. This would also lead us to think of several questions about the place that might have not come up otherwise, thus helping the iterative world-building process. Also, Jinan was originally conceived as a mock-cRPG game, and a PnP roleplaying system gives us the foundation on which to base the systems of this mock-cRPG.

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The Houses of Jinan discussion

aggiepunbot:

This sounds absolutely fascinating. I’m looking forward to reading more about the House system, such as how they deal with inter-house marriages, naming conventions, and inheritance rites.

Naming conventions are simple.  If a person is in a House, their name is Given_Name dar-House.  If they are unhoused, their name is Given_Name al-Location.  

Something like inheritance varies from House to House but broadly speaking individual property isn’t something that’s common, beyond the simplest things.  Within the Houses almost everything is done and shared communally, that includes child-rearing, something we associate with the family unit in the real world.  Jinan does not have an equivalent to the nuclear family, however, and as such no respective need for a concept like marriage.

Romantic relationships, including life-long ones, are of course still common, and drama can arise when it is between people of competing Houses.  But marriage just isn’t something Jinan does as it doesn’t fit in with the way the rest of their society operates.  

Since Houses are more like nations and not families, membership within them by blood is not guaranteed.  One of our characters - who has not yet been revealed - demonstrates this.  But basically people are assets that can be bought, sold, and traded by their Houses.  It would be natural to think that this means they’re slaves, but nothing could be further from the truth.  They can leave at any time, and seek out their own changes in employment/House membership, for starters.  A more accurate comparison would be professional athletes.  Players are bought (in the free agent market), sold (either in trade such as in American professional leagues, or sold for cash as in International soccer), or released.  The same is true with Houses, only the method for determining who joins, stays, and goes varies from each one to the next.

It would also be easy to think this makes people cheap, and that’s also not really true.  Most breakups, as it were, are amicable and as such when a person leaves a House on good terms (even if they do not immediately join another one) they are permitted to keep their sword, or are so granted one if they had not typically carried it.  This signals to the other Houses that the individual is in good standing and reliable.  These people are picked back up reasonably quickly.  That isn’t to say that dishonorable discharges of a sort do not happen, and in such cases the offending member’s sword is broken and they’re cast out into the unhoused, which is another article in of itself.

Source: dragonagejinan

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